A Search  for  those  Elements 
The  Proper  Combination 
Of  which  Constitute 
The  Successful  Railway  Official  * 


By  MR.  W.  J.  HARAHAN 


■0 


A SEARCH  FOR  THOSE  ELEMENTS,  THE  PROPER  COM= 
BINATION  OF  WHICH  CONSTITUTE  THE 
SUCCESSFUL  RAILWAY  OFFICIAL. 


BY  MR.  W.  J.  HARAHAN. 


It  is  not  intended  by  the  writer  of  this  paper  to  convey  the 
idea  that  he  is  the  oracle  of  success,  the  intention  being  to  simply 
review  what  seems  to  be  some  of  the  principal  essentials  required 
for  success  so  that  we  may  take  a mental  inventory  as  it  were. 
Most  of  the  essentials  herein  detailed  are,  no  doubt,  familiar  to 
all,  but,  even  so,  it  is  well  to  occasionally  determine  by  a review, 
how,  and  where,  we  stand. 

To  derive  the  most  substantial  good  from  the  consideration  of 
the  subject  it  is  necessary  that  we  approach  it  in  a proper  spirit. 
If  we,  like  the  Pharisee  of  old,  exclaim:  “0  Lord,  I am  thankful 
that  thou  hast  not  made  me  like  unto  other  men”  thus  attempt- 
ing to  extol  our  own  perfections,  we  are  more  likely  to  exercise 
our  ingenuity  in  seeking  to  justify  in  our  own  mind  our  acts  of 
the  past  rather  than  endeavor  to  use  the  light  of  experience  as 
a guide  for  the  future.  Let  us,  therefore,  rather  give  heed  to  the 
memorable  words  of  the  Scotch  poet : 

“Oh  wad  some  power  the  giftie  gie  us, 

To  see  oursels  as  ithers  see  us ! ” 

so  that  by  contemplating  our  imperfections  we  may  draw  light 
from  the  lessons  of  the  past.  Let  us  also  seek  to  profit  by  the  ex- 
perience of  those  who  have  gone  before.  Yet,  let  us  not  forget, 
however,  that  while  experience  is  a great  teacher,  observation  is 
its  necessary  accompaniment  to  make  it  as  effective  as  success 
requires.  Observation  may  be  either  a natural  gift,  or  an  ac- 
quired one.  If  one  is  not  gifted  with  observation,  naturally,  he 
must  acquire  it,  else  he  does  not  exist  to  fill  out  the  quota  of  hu- 
manity. Experience  therefore  is  incomplete  without  observation 
and  both  are  in  vain  unless  a practical  application  can  be  made  of 
the  lessons  to  be  learned  from  them. 


Wliat  may  be  designated  as  the  first  element,  or  rather,  es- 
sential, of  success,  is  common  honesty.  To  state  the  old  maxim : 
“Honesty  is  the  best  policy”  is  but  to  reiterate  a truism,  and  to 
repeat  parrot-like  the  principle  that  has  stood  the  test  of  ages. 
There  is,  however,  a broader  honesty  than  that  apparent  on  the 
surface  that  is  a requirement.  This  consists  not  entirely  in  the 
application  of  the  Commandment  “Thou  shalt  not  steal,”  hut  seeks 
also  for  its  guiding  principle  the  “Golden  Rule.”  In  other  words, 
a studious  and  persistent  effort  to  render  just  and  fair  treatment 
to  all  alike  whether  he  or  it  be  great  or  small. 

I regard  this  principle  a most  important  one,  and  one  the  ob- 
servance or  non-observance  of  which  surely  tends  to  advance,  or 
otherwise,  a man’s  career.  Temporary  advantage  may  sometimes 
be  obtained  by  some  other  course  but  it  is  not  lasting  as  a day  of 
reckoning  inevitably  comes.  Recall  to  your  memory  those  officers 
successful  in  railway  work.  You  may  remember  some  who  have 
seemed  a very  martinet  in  discipline,  who  may  have  been  sour  of 
disposition,  stern  and  exacting,  hard  to  approach,  yet,  eminently 
successful,  because  always  just.  Men  know  and  appreciate  this 
quality  and  it  commands  their  respect  and  ensures  to  the  officer 
exercising  it  their  earnest  work  which  means  his  success. 

Loyalty  is  a predominating  characteristic  of  railroad  officers, 
and  it  is  a necessity  to  perfectly  weld  the  links  of  the  chain  of  or- 
ganization and  system.  The  Railroad  Company  should  have  the 
first  and  preferential  call  upon  our  loyalty,  but  this  follows  as  a 
natural  sequence  to  loyalty  to  one’s  superiors,  such  attribute  rarely 
conflicting  with  loyalty  to  the  company,  and  in  the  degree  that 
a man  is  loyal  to  his  superiors  so  does  he  engender  that  feeling 
towards  himself  on  the  part  of  his  subordinates,  correspondingly. 

An  element  requiring  the  exercise  of  a peculiar  and  really 
great  ability  is  the  gift  of  creating  harmony.  It  is  the  keystone 
of  the  arch  of  success  without  which  the  structure  will  not  sus- 
tain itself.  True  harmony,  when  carried  to  a finality,  familiarly 
known  as  team-work,  engenders  enthusiasm  on  the  part  of  the  in- 
dividuals forming  the  organization.  An  organization  without  har- 
mony disintegrates  and  soon  becomes  utterly  demoralized  so  that 
a disturber  should  be  ejected  from  it  with  little  ceremony  or  he 
will  prove  its  undoing.  Departmental  lines  should  vanish  before 
the  company’s  welfare.  If,  by  sustaining  an  expense,  another  de- 
partment can  be  helped  sufficiently  to  justify  the  expense  assumed 


2 


there  should  be  not  only  no  hesitancy,  but  an  eagerness  to  do  so, 
bearing  in  mind  that  the  ultimate  result  to  the  company  as  a whole 
is  what  should  govern.  Where  possible  to  do  so,  however,  it  will 
be  found  that  the  introduction  of  a friendly  rivalry  between  officers 
of  the  same  relative  grade  will,  if  properly  handled,  produce  far 
reaching  results,  without  in  any  manner  affecting  harmony,  be- 
cause of  the  incentive  thus  given  them  to  use  their  intelligence  and 
ability  to  accomplish  at  least  as  much,  and,  if  possible,  more  than 
their  fellows. 

It  may  seem  that  it  should  not  be  necessary  to  cite  the  ne- 
cessity for  industry.  Much,  however,  should  be  said  on  this  im- 
portant element.  It  does  not  merely  consist  in  being  prompt  at  the 
place  of  work  and  remaining  the  full  time  required  by  the  letter 
of  the  law — but  it  requires  much  more  to  lead  to  the  highest  suc- 
cess. It  means  the  earnest,  painstaking,  patient  and  persevering  ef- 
fort to  accomplish  everything  well;  the  putting  in  of  whatever 
time  is  necessary  to  perform  those  duties  which  are  assigned  to  the 
individual  officer,  and  it  may  even  be  necessary  at  times  to  do  some- 
thing that  someone  else  should  have  done.  It  requires,  particularly, 
the  doing  of  these  things  cheerfully.  A man  who  is  truly  indus- 
trious is  busy  in  any  position  whether  it  be  high  or  low.  He  who  is 
thus  busy  in  the  lower  position  will  always  render  such  high  grade 
service  that  he  will  be  called  to  the  higher.  It  will  be  found  that  he 
who  concentrates  his  efforts,  and  is  the  steadiest  in  his  work  ac- 
complishes the  most.  As  exemplified  in  the  fable  of  the  Tortoise 
and  the  Hare,  the  brilliant  men  who  are  only  sporadic  in  the  ac- 
plication  of  their  brilliancy  do  not  accomplish  as  much  as  their 
less  brilliant  fellows  who  are  continually  applying  what  abilities 
they  possess. 

Thoroughness  is  an  important  adjunct  and  it  is  requisite  to  the 
fullest  extent.  Affairs  should  be  closely  analyzed.  A “touch  and 
go”  method  of  handling  matters  is  not  conducive  to  success  be- 
cause it  invariably  leads  to  neglect.  Correspondence  should  not  be 
shifted  around  simply  to  relieve  desks  of  the  presence  of  papers, 
but  it  should  be  thoroughly  gone  into,  all  questions  answered,  and, 
if  an  answer  naturally  develops  another  question,  it  should  also 
be  answered.  It  is  exasperating  to  receive  returned  papers  in 
which  all  questions  are  not  answered,  in  an  effort  evidently  to 
easily  get  rid  of  the  correspondence,  and  such  methods  are  insensi- 
bly treasured  against  those  performing  such  indifferent  service. 


3 


It  should  be  the  pride  of  a man  conducting  correspondence  to  feel 
that  his  superior  officer  did  not  have  to  return  it  for  additional 
facts,  if  such  additional  facts  could  have  been  reported  on  in  the 
first  instance  by  a conclusive  investigation.  Where  possible  and 
consistent,  definite  recommendations  should  always  be  made,  other- 
wise a man’s  office  becomes  but  a clearing  house  for  correspondence, 
and  such  clearing  houses  are  not  essential  or  even  desirable.  When 
difficulties  arise  they  should  always  be  discussed  to  as  absolute  and 
as  satisfactory  a conclusion  as  the  conditions  will  allow,  otherwise 
half-baked  measures  result,  causing  frequently,  unwarranted  ex- 
pense, and  always  embarrassment.  In  arriving  at  a conclusion  it 
should  always  be  assured  that  the  root  of  the  difficulty  is  reached, 
otherwise  no  permanent  relief  is  effected,  as  cure  only  is  applied 
instead  of  prevention.  Thoroughness  is  one  of  the  cardinal  virtues 
of  a successful  practical  business  man. 

As  is  true  in  all  lines  of  work,  one  of  the  prime  essentials  is 
what  I may  call  love  of  the  work.  There  can  be  no  success  without 
it  as  indifference  is  sure  to  result.  There  is  no  line  of  work  more 
exacting  than  railroad  work  and  there  is  no  character  of  work  re- 
quiring a greater  sustained  interest.  There  is  no  line  of  work 
either  in  which  the  indifference  is  more  easily,  or  more  quickly 
manifested.  The  results  of  such  indifference  immediately  appear 
as  they  cannot  be  concealed.  For  the  benefit  of  those  who  are 
really  struggling  with  might  and  main  to  achieve  success  it  is  well 
that  this  is  true  as  it  serves  to  brush  out  of  the  path  those  who 
falter  or  linger  by  the  wayside.  A great  deal  of  railroad  work  has 
to  be  done  upon  honor,  that  is,  officers  are  away  by  themselves, 
and  not  under  the  direct  observance  of  their  superiors.  A man  is 
therefore  necessarily  judged  by  the  results  he  produces.  Love  of 
work  is  a great  incentive  to  spur  him  on  in  producing  these  results, 
not  merely  for  his  present,  but  also  for  his  future  benefit. 

I regard  common  sense  as  one  of  the  very  greatest  of  these 
elements.  I believe  that  we  often  fail  to  realize  how  much  is  ex- 
pressed in  these  two  words.  It  is  the  foundation  upon  which  all 
of  the  professions  are  laid.  Its  application  is  absolutely  essential  to 
the  proper  carrying  on  of  business  as  it  is  the  rudder  of  business 
existence.  The  most  gifted  man  but  drifts  upon  the  turbulent  sea 
of  trouble  if  he  is  not  governed  by  its  precepts,  which  cannot  be 
specifically  laid  down,  yet  are  as  plain  as  the  A.  B.  C.  of  our  child- 
hood. On  account  of  its  evident  necessity  it  may  be  superfluous 


4 


to  discuss  this  essential  to  any  greatk  length,  but  too  often  there 
are  examples  which  prove  that  it  is  necessary  to  call  attention  to 
this  principle  in  a discussion  of  this  subject.  When  in  doubt,  we 
should  ask  ourselves:  “Are  we  proceeding  along  common  sense 
lines?”  The  application  of  this  test  will  invariably  open  a way 
towards  the  proper  solution  of  our  difficulties. 

One  of  the  elements  seriously  lacking  in  many  men  is  origi- 
nality evidenced  by  their  easily  succumbing  to  difficulties,  or  in  their 
inability  to  keep  pace  with  progress.  This  is  an  important  attri- 
bute, and  without  it  failure  is  certain.  To  do  something  a certain 
way  because  it  has  always  been  done  that  way  is  not  always  a good 
reason  for  so  doing.  A thing  should  be  done  the  way  best  suited 
to  the  present  requirements.  There  is,  of  course,  great  value  in 
precedent,  if  properly  applied,  and  it  would  be  just  as  much  of  an 
error  to  cast  it  to  the  wind  as  to  always  slavishly  follow  precedent. 
The  proper  mean  between  the  two  is  true  conservatism,  avoiding, 
however,  the  type  of  conservatism  that  stagnates,  and  stops  the 
circulation  as  it  were,  making  the  body  inert.  Ability  to  adopt 
the  proper  course  constitutes  the  successful  man.  This  to  very 
large  and  also  very  small  affairs  in  railroad  work.  So  far  as  the 
lack  of  originality  is  concerned  the  principal  way  in  which  it  is 
manifested  is  that  when  difficulties  present  themselves  enough  ef- 
fort is  not  made  to  surmount  them.  Situations  are  accepted  where 
originality  may  change  them  to  advantage,  or  may  overcome  them 
altogether,  or  probably  a substitute  can  be  made  just  as  effective, 
or,  at  least,  not  as  bad  as  total  alteration.  We  should  al- 
ways ask  ourselves  before  accepting  a situation  which  appears  to 
be  bad,  whether  it  is  really  and  undoubtedly  the  best  thing  that 
can  be  done,  devoting  conscientious  and  hard  thought  to  its  proper 
solution.  Originality  is  also  vitally  necessary  to  keep  abreast  of  the 
times  and  to  make  the  proper  expansion  so  as  to  keep  step  with 
or  outstrip  our  competitors  as  business  necessities  may  dictate. 

A great  deal  is  accomplished  by  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
work  which  can  only  come  from  experience  in  the  harness,  that 
is,  practical  experience.  Men  respect  this  sort  of  knowledge  and 
their  best  efforts  are  obtained  when  they  feel  that  an  officer  pos- 
sesses it.  If  one  is  not  in  full  possession  of  knowledge  on  any  par- 
ticular detail,  however,  it  is  the  greatest  mistake  not  to  ask  ques- 
tions so  as  to  become  so.  It  is  not  a lowering  of  dignity,  nor  an 
indication  of  incompetency  to  have  to  ask  for  such  information,  in 


5 


fact,  much  can  often  be  learned  from  even  the  men  of  the  lowest 
grade  by  intelligent  questioning.  Any  other  principle  of  conduct 
usually  results  in  an  ostrich  act  on  the  part  of  him  who  attempts 
it,  his  ignorance  being  easily  apparent. 

The  great  Chinese  philosopher,  “Confucius,”  said:  “When  you 
know  a thing  to  hold  that  you  know  it,  and  when  you  do  not  know 
a thing  to  allow  that  you  do  not  know  it;  that  is  knowledge.” 

Good  organization,  and  its  resulting  element,  system,  are 
among  the  greatest  of  all  the  requirments,  for  without  them  no 
large  business  can  be  properly  conducted.  When  good  organization 
is  attained,  system  naturally  follows,  and  system  is  essential  be- 
cause no  one  officer,  beyond  a certain  grade,  is  able  to  keep  up 
physically  with  the  infinite  details  occurring  in  the  handling  of  a 
large  property.  The  amount  of  detail  is,  necessarily,  in  proportion 
to  the  position  occupied,  the  work  of  the  minor  officer  being  practi- 
cally all  detail.  Let  me  remark,  however,  that  there  are  a great 
many  officers  who  make  the  mistake  of  not  knowing  enough  of  de- 
tail. It  is  impossible  to  lay  down  any  definite  rules  governing  the 
amount  of  detail  which  should  be  handled,  hut  a man  should  know 
enough  to  be  intimately  familiar  with  his  work.  The  necessity  for 
the  most  perfect  system  should  be  uppermost  in  a man’s  mind  as 
he  goes  upward.  He  should  surround  himself  with  the  most  ca- 
pable men  he  can  find  for  the  respective  positions  under  him.  Some 
men,  by  their  action,  seem  to  feel  that  brilliant  subordinates  may 
detract  from  them.  There  can  be  no  more  mistaken  idea,  nor  can 
there  be  more  short-sighted  policy.  A man  of  moderate  capacity, 
can,  in  a relatively  high  position,  be  successful  with  good  and  ca- 
pable subordinates,  but  a brilliant  man  cannot  be  successful  with 
incompetent  subordinates  because  of  the  very  physical  impossibil- 
ity aforementioned  of  one  individual  knowing  the  details  of  a large 
business.  The  ability  to  select  capable  subordinates  is  a most  im- 
portant art  and  most  necessary  to  success.  To  do  so  properly  re- 
quires that  a man  shall  be  somewhat  of  a student  of  human  nature 
and  an  analyst  of  the  human  character;  it  also  requires  a close 
and  careful  supervision  of  the  work  of  those  under  him  to  know 
their  capability  because  there  should  always  be  understudies  who  can 
be  promoted  to  the  various  positions,  otherwise  the  organization 
will  become  weak.  Organization  and  system  therefore  are  the  most 
vital  elements,  in  fact,  they  are  the  very  life-blood  of  a large  cor- 
poration. Every  man  should  be  entrusted  with  whatever  responsi- 


6 


bilities  the  duties  of  his  position  and  the  general  organization  of 
the  company  will  allow.  To  deny  officers  authority  is  to  dwarf  and 
stunt  them  and  thus  thwart  their  efforts.  My  personal  opinion 
is,  a great  deal  should  be  entrusted  to  the  divisional  organization 
so  that  the  man  on  the  ground  could  accomplish  more,  the  idea 
being  that  the  man  selected  for  such  positions  should  be  capable 
of  carrying  out  such  an  organization  rather  than  to  attempt  to  cen- 
tralize, because  such  a localized  authority  means  more  intimate  in- 
tercourse between  the  men  on  the  ground  and  the  public,  and,  I 
believe,  tends  to  a better  understanding  between  the  railroad  com- 
pany and  the  public  because  the  railroad  is  more  literally  and  inti- 
mately personified  in  the  person  of  such  a representative. 

Those  having  to  do  with  the  line  of  the  road,  should  be  ac- 
quainted with  it  from  personal  knowledge,  that  is,  by  getting  out  on 
the  road  as  often  as  is  necessary  to  obtain  a full  understanding  of 
the  characteristics  producing  or  affecting  local  conditions.  This 
brings  them  in  contact  with  the  public  and  the  employes,  and  they 
ascertain  many  an  important  fact  which  is  either  not  communicable 
in  correspondence  or  mayhap  the  correspondent  does  not  appreciate 
their  importance  to  the  same  extent  that  the  officer  does.  Often- 
times complaints  from  the  public  are  thus  intercepted  at  their  root 
preventing  their  attaining  the  stage  of  the  festering  sore  that  time 
and  often  inattention  produces.  In  bringing  the  officer  and  his  men 
closer  together  there  is  also  developed  the  best  means  of  fostering 
proper  relation  because  of  the  knowledge  each  obtains  of  the  other’s 
difficulties  from  personal  contact.  Such  personal  contact  also 
serves  somewhat  to  rob  the  company  of  its  inanimate  character  so 
far  as  the  men  are  concerned. 

An  important  detail,  in  the  proper  carrying  on  of  a large  busi- 
ness is  the  careful  following  up  of  instructions.  The  issuance  of 
instructions  is  but  the  preparatory  stage  of  the  process.  They  must 
be  followed  up  to  see  that  not  only  are  they  put  into  effect,  but 
carried  out  in  the  future.  Man  is  prone  to  follow  along  the  lines 
of  least  resistance,  therefore,  if  it  is  easier  to  do  something  else  he 
is  likely  to  do  it.  For  this  reason  instructions  should  be  closely 
analyzed  before  issuing  them  and  a determination  made  as  to 
whether  the  proper  thing  is  being  done  and  especially  to  determine 
whether  the  course  that  is  being  taken  to  accomplish  the  purpose  re- 
quired is  along  the  most  natural  lines  possible  under  conditions, 
as  when  once  issued  they  should  be  rigidly  insisted  upon.  Confer- 


7 


ences  of  division  staff  officers,  to  which  the  men  should,  upon  ap- 
propriate occasions,  be  invited,  should  be  held  at  stated  intervals 
as  they  are  a most  effective  method  of  obtaining  a complete  under- 
standing of  instructions  as  well  as  obtaining  the  benefit  derived 
from  the  interchange  of  views  at  such  conferences  at  which  diffi- 
culties surrounding  the  operation  of  a division  should  be  fully  dis- 
cussed, and  the  proceedings  should  be  written  up.  When  putting 
into  effect  instructions  vitally  affecting  a system,  which  are  a radi- 
cal departure,  it  will  be  found  that  the  best  results  will  ensue  when 
a general  conference  is  called  and  the  whole  subject  exhaustively 
explained. 

He  who  would  seek  to  develop  his  capabilities  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent and  keep  that  proper  pace  with  progress  absolutely  required 
for  the  continuation  of  success  should  read  carefully  the  literature 
of  the  profession.  It  is  as  necessary  for  the  successful  railroad  offi- 
cer to  follow  the  changed  conditions  surrounding  railway  prac- 
tices, and  to  know  the  new  and  advanced  ideas  and  physical  im- 
provements as  it  is  for  the  lawyer  or  doctor  to  do  so  in  his  pro- 
fession. The  Railway  and  Engineering  periodicals  and  certain 
books  on  railroad  subjects  are  the  most  valuable  aid  to  him  and 
should  be  freely  used.  They  contain  everything  that  is  current  and 
information  pertaining  to  all  departments  so  that  a man  may  in- 
form himself  fully  as  to  not  only  the  work  of  his  own  department 
but  as  to  that  of  other  departments. 

Without  being  an  officious  busybody  it  should  be  the  aim  of 
the  railroad  officer  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  duties  of  other 
higher  positions  and  even  conditions  in  other  departments  besides 
his  own.  He  should  feel  that  some  day  he  will  be  called  to  exercise 
those  duties,  at  which  time  he  should  at  least  have  an  elementary 
knowledge  of  them. 

Membership  in  such  clubs  as  this,  and  kindred  associations,  is 
also  a most  fruitful  method  of  obtaining  information  as  to  the 
progress  of  the  profession  not  only  from  participation  in  the  formal 
proceedings  but  in  the  chance  to  meet  his  colleagues,  discuss  his 
difficulties  and  take  advantage  of  their  ideas  and  impart  his  to 
them.  The  human  mind  is  so  constituted  that  often  what  may  be 
a serious  stumbling-block  for  one  individual  will  be  readily  solved 
by  another  of  equal  or  even  inferior  capacity. 

One  of  the  most  important  duties  of  an  officer  entrusted  with 
it  is  the  employment  of  men,  and  it  is  one  which  he  should  weigh 


8 


well,  and,  should  seriously  appreciate  the  gravity  of.  In  hiring 
the  inferior  grade  of  employes  he  should  reflect  that  he  is  hiring 
the  future  section  or  shop  foreman,  the  future  dispatcher,  the  fu- 
ture engineer,  the  future  conductor,  and  if  the  true  principle  is 
carried  out  the  future  officer  of  whatever  grade ; it  therefore  re- 
quires rare  discimination  to  do  that  which  is  the  proper  thing.  He 
should  know  that  the  man  hired  is  of  proper  calibre,  as  determined 
by  his  looks,  actions,  and  his  references.  When  a man  is  employed 
or  promoted,  he  should  be  carefully  instructed  as  to  what  his  duties 
are,  as  to  simply  drop  a man  into  a new  position  and  tell  him  to 
go  ahead  without  any  advice  is  conducive  of  very  poor  results. 
These  instructions,  in  addition  to  the  examination  required  in  cer- 
tain eases,  should  be  exhaustive  and  complete  and  it  should  be  the 
aim  of  the  officer  instructing  to  make  it  the  occasion  for  the  giving 
of  that  good  advice  which  every  man  can  cull  from  his  past  ex- 
perience and  which  will  enable  the  newcomer  to  avoid  as  many  pit- 
falls  as  possible  in  his  future  career.  The  practice  brings  good  re- 
sults entirely  disproportionate  to  the  amount  of  trouble  and  time 
involved  in  the  carrying  of  it  out.  It  also  makes  better  men  and 
better  officers  as  it  brings  the  officer  and  men  closer  together  and 
puts  a new  employe  or  new  officer  at  once  on  his  mettle  to  attempt 
to  warrant  the  good  opinion  of  his  superior  officer  by  attempting 
to  carry  out  his  evidently  well-meant  advice. 

The  treatment  of  men  is  a problem  usually  solved  by  the  in- 
dividual as  his  disposition  seems  to  dictate.  Its  proper  solution  is 
a necessary  element  of  success.  There  is  no  truer  saying  than  that 
“Familiarity  breeds  contempt.”  To  become  too  familiar  with  men 
means  a loss  of  their  respect,  yet  to  stand  aloof  and  icily  distant 
means  also  a loss  of  respect  on  their  part,  and  certainly  tends  to 
prevent  any  enthusiasm  for  their  work.  There  is  a middle  course 
which  should  be  adopted.  There  should  be  an  easy  bearing  between 
the  officer  and  men  which  will  beget  confidence  on  their  part  and 
make  them  feel  that  the  officer  is  their  friend  and  will  always 
do  them  full  justice  whenever  anything  occurs.  If  officers  coming 
in  contact  with  the  men  are  on  proper  terms  with  them  they  Avill 
often  be  advised  of  things  inimical  to  the  company’s  or  their  in- 
terest especially  if  the  officers  display  interest  when  receiving  such 
advice. 

Proper  discipline  is  as  much  of  an  essential  in  railway  work 
as  it  is  in  army  work.  Most  Railroad  Officers  occupy  the  dual  po- 


9 


sition  of  superior  and  subordinate.  If  a man  carried  out  carefully 
the  principles  of  discipline  in  his  capacity  of  subordinate  it  cannot 
but  be  far  reaching  in  influencing  the  conduct  of  his  subordinates, 
and  cannot  but  make  easier  his  path  so  far  as  the  proper  appli- 
cation of  discipline  is  concerned,  as  example  is  the  most  effective 
teacher.  Implicit  obedience  is  an  essential  of  proper  discipline.  It 
is  sometimes  necessary  to  issue  orders  which  cannot  be  explained. 
This,  therefore,  requires  that  all  orders  be  carried  out  implicitly, 
unless  they  involve  evident  danger,  as  they  may  be  of  a very  im- 
portant chain  in  a plan  of  action ; but,  if  on  account  of  danger,  de- 
viations are  necessary  they  must  be  carefully  explained.  It  is,  how- 
ever, nearly  always  practicable  to  fully  explain  the  purport  and 
intention  of  orders  and  when  possible  they  should  be  explained  to 
such  an  extent  as  is  consistent,  as  it  is  conducive  of  a much  more 
intelligent  and  harmonious  carrying  out  of  a plan  if  those  who  are 
executing  orders  can  have  some  knowledge  of  what  they  are  doing 
as  they  will  intuitively  plan  their  actions  so  as  to  fit  in  with  the 
following  moves  if  they  know  what  they  are,  or  will  be.  So  far  as 
application  of  discipline  to  men  is  concerned,  in  punishing  them 
for  not  carrying  out  rules  or  instructions,  they  must  be  dealt  with 
justly  and  all  must  be  handled  on  the  same  basis.  The  most  care- 
ful and  painstaking  thought  should  be  given  to  this  most  impor- 
tant duty  to  insure  that  consistent  treatment  is  given  to  all.  Em- 
ployes will  render  most  satisfactory  service  to  those  officers  who 
treat  them  with  uniform  justice.  He  who  vacillates,  being  severe 
at  times,  easy  at  other  times,  loses  their  respect.  Prejudice  and 
favoritism  are  fatal  faults — and  they  should  be  abhorred  and 
shunned  as  a disease.  The  officer  should  always  take  what  appears 
to  him  to  be  the  right  course,  for  while  it  is  not  always  possible 
to  convince  a man  himself  of  the  justice  of  a sentence  imposed 
upon  him — yet  his  fellows  nearly  always  judge  correctly  of  such  ac- 
tion. When  a man  has  made  a mistake  and  it  is  necessary  to  apply 
discipline  he  should  always  be  told  how  to  avoid  such  mistakes  in 
the  future ; to  simply  assert  to  him  that  a mistake  has  been  made 
without  showing  him  in  detail  in  what  his  fault  consists,  and  how 
to  avoid  it,  is  not  taking  advantage  of  such  experience  as  a guide 
for  the  future  either  for  the  employe  involved  or  for  other  employes. 
When  possible  to  avoid  it  men  should  not  be  reprimanded  within 
the  hearing  of  other  men  as  it  serves  only  to  inflame  and  wound 
them — and  such  reprimand  thus  loses  a large  part  of  its  efficiency. 


10 


I cannot,  even  at  the  risk  of  repetition,  fail  to  state  that  the  ability 
to  properly  discipline  is  a most  important  element,  and  it  is  the 
rock  on  which  has  occurred  the  shipwreck  of  many  a promising 
career.  It  would  seem  that  no  one  would  be  purposely  unjust  or 
purposely  prejudiced,  so  that  much  of  it  must  be  attributed  to  bad 
judgment,  or  the  inability  to  distinguish  as  between  right  and 
wrong  on  this  particular  proposition.  I believe  it  can  be  unques- 
tionably stated  that  the  more  contented  a body  of  men  are  the 
more  satisfactory  will  be  their  service  and  proper  discipline  by 
which  the  men  always  know  where  they  stand  and  what  they  may 
expect  goes  a long  way  towards  making  for  contentment.  Care- 
ful consideration  of  this  most  important  duty  also  means  that  the 
higher  officers  will  need  to  overrule  the  lower  officers  less  and  thus 
avoid  that  impairment  to  a man’s  influence  which  then  occurs. 

I come  now  to  that  essential  which  may  be  said  to  deal  with 
the  business  end  of  the  railroad,  although  all  matters  heretofore 
touched  upon  deal  also  with  railroading  as  a business,  and  the 
proper  working  out  of  each  component  part  is  essential  to  the 
proper  working  out  of  the  whole.  Railroading,  as  has  been  stated, 
so  many  times  by  others,  is  purely  a commercial  proposition,  the 
same  as  any  other  kind  of  business.  The  commodity  in  which  the 
railroad  deals,  that  is,  transportation,  must  be  produced  at  as 
cheap  a cost  as  is  consistent  with  the  conditions  surrounding  its 
production.  Every  railroad,  no  matter  what  its  good  or  bad  condi- 
tions are>,  is  capable  of  being  operated  at  a certain  proper  cost  de- 
pendent upon  its  conditions.  To  produce  this  proper  cost  of  oper- 
ation is  the  problem  of  the  railroad  officer,  which  applies  from  the 
highest  executive  to  the  lowest  subordinate  officer  in  proportion  to 
the  responsibilities  their  respective  positions  impose  upon  them. 
The  successful  operation  of  trains,  the  maintenance  of  roadway  and 
equipment  to  a proper  standard,  the  avoidance  of  accidents,  the 
proper  handling  of  men,  and,  in  fact,  the  proper  solution  of  the 
manifold  problems  presenting  themselves,  all  tend  towards  the  suc- 
cessful accomplishment  by  a railroad  officer  of  the  purpose  which  is 
really  the  end  for  which  this,  and,  in  fact,  all  business  is  conducted, 
that  is,  the  sale  of  its  commodity  at  a reasonable  profit.  Too  many 
men,  however,  seem  to  be  attracted  by  what  may  be  called  the  love 
of  the  tinsel  in  railroading  with  its  glamour  and  romance  so  that 
they  lose  sight  of  its  business  features  and  necessities.  The  only 
way  to  insure  the  proper  business  result  is  to  require  on  the  part 


11 


of  the  officers  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  proper  costs  of  the  per- 
formance of  service  and  a comprehensive  planning  of  the  future 
expenses  based  on  the  probable  business  and  the  railroad’s  policy 
of  expenditures.  Comparisons  with  last  year  are  not  conclusive, 
in  fact,  are  misleading,  unless  the  same  conditions  obtain  in  both 
years.  The  basis  should  therefore  be  cost  of  service  based  on  units 
of  service  to  be  performed.  To  assume  that  expenses  can  be  regu- 
lated without  some  definite  planning  is  unbusinesslike  and  does  not 
prevail  in  any  other  kind  of  business. 

The  Traffic  Department  officers  should  have  some  familiarity 
with  costs  to  enable  them  to  make  proper  rates.  It  is  true  that 
conditions,  too  numerous  to  be  discussed  in  a paper  of  this  charac- 
ter, in  a great  measure  govern  rates,  yet  a full  knowledge  of  the 
conditions  governing  cost  on  the  part  of  traffic  officers  is  conducive 
to  the  obtaining  of  remunerative,  and,  what  is  very  important, 
consistent  rates. 

As  this  club  is  composed  largely  of  operating  men  I address 
myself  more  particularly  to  them.  So  far  as  the  operating  man  is 
concerned,  he  should  know  what  his  expenses  are  going  to  be  be- 
fore they  occur.  They,  of  course,  will  have  to  be  cut  to  fit  the  cloth 
as  much  as  is  consistent  with  the  safe  and  proper  operation  and 
maintenance  of  the  property,  but  unless  they  are  determined  be- 
forehand there  can  be  no  intelligent  control  of  them.  This  can  only 
be  carried  out  to  a practical  conclusion  by  an  allotment  system, 
and  this  system  must  be  carried  all  the  way  down  to  the  lowest 
supervising  officer,  that  is,  the  section  foreman  must  be  told  how 
much  he  can  spend  per  day  for  labor;  the  shop  foreman  must  be 
told  how  much  he  can  spend  per  day  for  labor;  the  track  super- 
visor must  know  what  he  can  spend  per  day  for  labor;  the  road 
master  or  division  engineer,  the  master  mechanic,  and  the  division 
superintendent  must  know  what  they  can  spend  each  day  for  labor 
and  material.  I prefer  to  allot  in  units  of  money  rather  than  men 
or  material  because  I believe  that  the  money  unit  is  more  graphic 
in  conveying  the  idea  that  money  is  actually  being  spent.  The  ac- 
counts showing  what  is  actually  spent  each  day  must  be  in  the 
hands  of  those  in  control  as  soon  as  possible  after  it  is  spent;  not 
a month’s  nor  a week’s  report  at  a time,  but  a day’s  report  at  a 
time ; and  it  must  be  in  the  possession  of  the  officer  or  man  in  charge 
of  the  expenditure  as  soon  as  possible.  The  section  forman  must 
know  at  the  close  of  today  what  he  has  spent  today.  The  same  is 


12 


true  of  the  shop  foreman.  The  supervisor  should  know  tomorrow 
what  has  been  spent  by  his  section  foreman  today.  If  a week  is 
allowed  to  elapse,  foremen  are  likely  to  put  on  more  than  they 
should,  the  result  being  that  towards  the  end  of  the  month  forces 
may  have  to  be  laid  off,  shop  work  reduced  below  the  usual  ex- 
pense or  other  uneconomical  things  done  to  equalize  the  allowance, 
or,  what  is  just  as  uneconomical,  it  may  be  necessary  to  increase 
largely  the  forces  in  order  to  use  up  the  allowance.  Neither  is 
necessary  where  a record  of  expenses  is  kept  as  they  are  incurred. 
Other  advantages  also  accrue,  such  as  for  instance;  when  daily 
reports  are  made,  supervisors  often  find  that  in  certain  seasons 
they  can  get  men  on  one  section  and  not  on  others ; so  that  they 
can  increase  their  forces  at  points  where  they  can  get  the  men. 
The  same  is  true  of  roadmasters,  or  division  engineers.  They  often 
find  they  can,  in  certain  seasons,  get  men  in  one  supervisor’s  terri- 
tory and  not  in  another.  In  being  so  closely  in  touch  with  their 
expenses,  as  herein  outlined,  they  can  employ  men  to  advantage. 
The  same  is  also  to  a great  extent  true  of  shop  work.  It  is  of  course 
assumed,  in  this  discussion,  that  no  more  men  are  allotted  than 
necessary  so  that  if  men  cannot  be  procured  at  one  time  they  must 
be  at  another  during  the  season. 

So  far  as  the  transportation  department  is  concerned,  a large 
proportion  of  its  expenses  should  be  governed  as  nearly  directly 
as  possible  by  the  amount  of  business  being  done  daily.  To  do  so, 
however,  in  a businesslike  way,  requires  that  many  expenses  of 
this  department  must  receive  judicious  and  careful  watching  and 
cheeking.  The  individual  loading  of  trains  should  be  checked  up  to 
see  that  they  are  handling  the  proper  tonnage,  and  they  should  be 
checked  immediately,  otherwise  a reduction  in  the  tonnage  per  train 
mile  is  bound  to  ensue.  This  item,  as  is  of  course  understood,  be- 
comes a most  important  factor  in  the  cost  of  conducting  transpor- 
tation. Overtime,  with  the  cause  should  be  reported  to  the  train- 
master and  the  superintendent  each  day,  and  the  matter  analyzed 
so  as  to  remedy  it  if  it  can  be  done  locally,  or  recommendations 
made  seeking  to  remove  the  cause.  Cars  on  the  divisions  must  be 
carefully  checked  each  day  to  see  that  they  are  being  properly 
utilized  so  that  the  company  may  receive  the  full  benefit  of  the 
money  that  has  been  invested  in  its  own  cars  and  so  that  no  more 
shall  be  paid  for  per  diem  on  foreign  cars  than  the  conditions  re<- 
quire.  The  agent  of  every  large  station  should  have  on  his  desk 


13 


every  morning  the  tonnage  handled  by  his  platform  force  the  pre- 
ceding day  with  the  platform  cost  of  handling;  such  statement 
should  also  show  the  loading  of  the  cars  so  that  unnecessary  ears 
can  be  cut  out.  He  should  also,  with  the  division  superintendent, 
receive  a monthly  analysis  of  the  station’s  working  expenses,  so 
as  to  regulate  it  to  the  most  economical  basis.  The  daily  figures 
are  absolutely  essential,  however,  to  intelligently  handle  the  labor 
force,  which  is  a large  item  in  the  total  expense  of  the  station. 

Division  superintendents  should  know  as  soon  as  possible  the 
total  expenses  of  the  division  today  for  yesterday,  if  possible,  labor 
and  material  will  have  to  be  separated  as  the  labor  charge  can  be 
furnished  before  the  material  charge  can.  I have  given  this  sub- 
ject a great  deal  of  thought  and  I do  not  believe  that  any  method 
except  the  daily  check,  is  effective.  At  first  thought  it  may  seem 
that  this  would  involve  an  immense  amount  of  bookkeeping  and 
complication  of  accounts,  and  consequently  a large  additional  force 
of  men.  This,  however,  is  not  so.  It  does  not  involve  the  putting 
on  of  any  additional  men  as  this  daily  check  can  be  carried  out  by 
the  present  force  without  difficulty  as  the  necessary  accounts  are 
so  simple  and  are  kept  by  so  many  that  it  puts  but  little  work  on 
each,  and  in  the  larger  offices  such  as  the  division  superintendents 
and  master  mechanics  it  means  but  a consolidation  of  figures.  This 
is  no  theoretical  or  fanciful  scheme  whatever,  but  is  a definite  prac- 
tice which  has  been  in  actual  operation  for  sufficient  time  to  thor- 
oughly demonstrate  its  practicability.  It  simply  means  system  in 
expending  the  money  for  operating  expenses  and  adapting  to  the 
railroad  business  the  same  rules  as  to  knowing  and  watching  cost 
that  apply  to  all  other  lines  of  busness. 

An  important  element  which  is  not  given  the  consideration  it 
deserves  usually  is  the  question  of  intercourse  with  the  public.  A 
broad  guaged  man  usually  comes  out  with  flying  colors  in  this  re- 
spect as  his  very  nature  solves  the  problem,  but  often  there  is  a 
mistaken  idea  as  to  what  is  proper.  Courtesy  and  frankness  are 
essential  in  the  proper  dealing  with  the  public.  A railroad  com- 
pany always  desires  to  have  the  public  feel  as  well  toward  it  as  is 
possible,  and  intends  to  impress  the  public  as  favorably  as  possi- 
ble. A courteous  set  of  officers  and  employes  does  more  to  im- 
press favorably  the  public  than  any  other  means,  as  the  only  way 
a railroad  meets  the  public  is  through  its  officers  and  employes  and 
upon  their  conduct  depends  the  public’s  verdict  as  to  the  company 


14 


they  represent.  Oftentimes  the  public  is  inconsiderate,  finds  fault 
without  due  investigation,  but  this  should  be  expected  and  courtesy 
practised  nevertheless.  “A  soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath,”  and 
this  should  be  practised.  Conciliation,  not  antagonism,  is  what  is 
vitally  needed.  The  public  along  the  line  of  the  railroad  should 
be  solicitously  well-treated,  letters  should  be  answered  whether  of 
complaint  or  otherwise  and  if  requests  cannot  be  complied  with, 
consistent,  not  childish  or  palpably  unsatisfactory  reasons  should 
be  given.  An  earnest  effort  should  always  be  made  to  remedy  any 
reasonable  complaint.  It  is  true  that  under  present  day  practices 
people  seem  to  largely  run  to  the  commissions,  but  the  railroads 
are  still  the  recipients  of  a volume  of  complaints.  I am  firmly  con- 
vinced that  a great  deal  of  the  crop  of  injudicious  laws  that  have 
been  made  against  the  railroads  in  the  past  were  caused  by  the 
treatment  of  the  public,  although  I do  not  feel  that  the  avalanche 
of  the  past  two  years  can  be  placed  in  this  category  as  I believe 
that  they  were  more  largely  the  result  of  the  efforts  of  designing 
politicians  to  secure  stepping  stones  for  future  political  advance- 
ment. Let  us  therefore  endeavor  to  regulate  ourselves  in  this  respect 
so  as  to  be  in  the  confidence  of  the  people  for  the  future  as  much  as 
possible.  I believe  that  one  result  of  the  present  situation  will  be  a 
closer  relation  between  the  railroad  and  its  customers  for  the  future, 
so  that  the  old  saying:  “ ’Tis  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  good” 
will  be  realized  as  it  has  many  times  in  the  past.  The  railroad  sub- 
ject should  in  any  event  be  stripped  of  its  mysteries  to  the  public  as 
there  is  nothing  in  the  general  characteristics  of  the  railroad  busi- 
ness whatever  different  from  any  other  businesses,  and  every  ef- 
fort should  be  put  forth  so  that  the  public  should  realize  that  this 
is  so. 

Let  us  now  call  to  mind  that  which  I said  in  the  opening  para- 
graph, and  ask  ourselves  if  we  have  considered  the  subject  in  the 
proper  spirit.  However  well  or  ill  these  principles  have  been  put 
before  you,  they  are  in  a great  measure  the  basis  and  the  founda- 
tion of  success  in  railroad  work. 

The  foundation  for  the  whole  structure  which  is  herein  raised, 
is,  of  course,  the  individual.  He  must  possess  the  determination 
to  do  everything  that  is  necessary  to  be  done.  He  must  be  of  such 
a stamp  that  he  can  assimilate  all  the  qualities  herein  set  forth.  He 
must  possess  true  self-confidence,  not,  however,  that  kind  of  con- 
ceit often  mistaken  for  self-confidence,  sufficient  to  carry  him 


15 


through  difficult  situations.  He  must  finally  have  that  proper  am- 
bition which  will  always  spur  him  on  to  accomplish  greater  things. 

To  summarize  all  that  has  been  herein  said,  it  requires,  among 
the  other  essentials,  honesty  properly  applied,  ability  to  harmonize, 
industry,  thoroughness,  love  of  work,  common  sense,  originality, 
experience,  ability  to  systematize  and  organize,  study  the  proper 
treatment  of  the  men  under  you,  the  ordinary  business-sense  re- 
quired in  any  other  line  of  business,  capacity  and  disposition  to 
treat  the  public  frankly  and  courteously;  added  to  these  the  other 
qualifications  herein  mentioned.  To  say  that  it  is  not  impossible) 
to  possess  all  of  these  in  a high  degree  is  not  a theoretical  declar- 
ation. To  him  who  is  the  most  proficient  in  all  will  come  to  the 
greatest  success  beyond  peradventure.  As  the  individual  is  con- 
stituted so  follows  the  result  as  sure  as  night  follows  day,  yet  con- 
sideration of  such  a subject  as  this  is  bound  to  brighten  up  anyone 
and  put  him  on  his  mettle  to  try  to  accomplish  all  that  is  in  him. 


16 


